The Road to Salvation
by TakuyaHotaka
Summary: This is a story of four adventurers. Knowing little about each other can these kids put aside their differences in order to save their town for another year. Or will this tear them apart allowing their town to crumble at their feet. Only time will tell.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Character Intros**

**Thalion Hotaka** – A young Clavat boy who lives with his mom, dad, three sisters and brother. He is tall and slender with brown hair which has a reddish tint to it. He wears the Headband style of Clavats. He is the younger twin of Talathiel with whom he shares a close bond with. His father trained him to be a proud Warrior yet he yearns to learn the ways of a Black Mage. After going and talking with the Mayor he learns that he is going to be on next years Crystal Caravan.

**Talathiel Hotaka** – A young Clavat girl who is the older sister of Thalion. She often teases him about being older even if it's just by a couple of seconds. She wears the Hat style of Clavat women. She was trained as a White Mage by her mother and has exceeded in learning most of the basic spells. She also learned the art of Selkie marksmanship from her grandmother. She along with her brother is on Tipa's Crystal Caravan.

**Lairiel Minori** - A rather eccentric Lilty female who lives with her mom, dad, brother and sister. She is angered easily by people who make fun of her height but is easily able to dispatch them through brute force. She wears the Normal style of Lilty women. Being trained as a Warrior Lairiel proves to be a tank in the frontline of any party she happens to be in. She has learned the ability to equip spells to her weapon for even more damage to her enemies.

**Lithaldoren Izanagi** – A mysterious Yuke boy who showed up one day in the village. Having no family the local Alchemist took him in as their adopted son. Not much is known about him since he doesn't talk to many people. He wears the Darkness style of the Yuke. Being taught to handle spells at an early age Lithaldoren has shown adept abilities in the dark arts. He has trouble casting White Magic.

Knowing little about each other our adventurers leave their town in order to save it for another year. The fate of the village rests with the Crystal Caravan, and especially the precious myrrh within the Crystal Chalice. Should they fail on their quest they will not have a village to return home too? Can they overcome these obstacles in order to save their homeland? The story starts in a town called Tipa. When four kids are called on by their mayor they soon realize that they are being called to duty. How will they handle this new task. After inviting them for dinner Mayor Roland tells them about them that no matter what circumstance should they fail. With the weight of their whole town be to much or will they learn to work with one another to fulfill their task.

**Family Occupations**

**Blacksmith**: Their son Ormeld is currently on the Crystal Caravan. They run a rather successful shop which sells high quality weapons and armor.

**Alchemist**: Their son Lithaldoren is being recruited for next years Caravan. They make useful accessories with their crafty hands.

**Tailor**: They have two daughters but none of them are currently Caravan members. They sell useful materials and make high quality clothing.

**Merchant**: Their daughter Lairiel is currently being recruited for next years Caravan. They sell helpful materials to the Caravan throughout the story.

**Rancher**: They have Thalion and Talathiel who are members in next years Caravan. They raise animals for meat and other products.

**Miller**: Their daughter Di Lena is currently in the Crystal Caravan this year. They use mill wheat to make flour for bread and also bake other goods.

**Farmer**: Their daughter Kressara is currently in this years Caravan. They grow wheat, fruits and vegetables that they sell for decent prices.

**Fisherman**: Their son Drae Mos was in the Caravan for this year. They always catch great fish and sell them to people for considerate prices.

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**Author's Notes **

This is just the basics but I made alot of changes to the story. I added new spells, abilities, items and alot of other stuff. But as we go along i'll either give a picture or will try to explain them in the best way I can. I always appreciate criticsim as it may (hopefully) make this story better. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

I was awoken by my mother's voice as she called out to me. Her voice was loud but it had its usual calm and sweet tone. It brought me back from dreamland and I raised myself from my spot under the striped apple tree. I looked around the pasture and saw the chocobos and papaomus grazing at their usual unhurried pace. The pasture was like a field of emerald straws lush and flowing jauntily in the wind. As I made my way through the pasture to the barn I took notice of the woodwork and metalwork of the barn. The barn was constructed of oak wood and was supported by steel rods and was built in a simplistic style. As I walked into the barn I was hit by unpleasant smells of the animal's bodily releases. I walked through the barn without much care as being the son of a rancher I was used to being accommodated by these foul smells. Placing animal fodder into appropriate bins and cleaning up a little I finally remembered that mother had called me not to long ago. I entered the house through the door that connected the house with the barn and along with me brought the said rank smells along with me.

**Mom**: Close the door before it starts stinking in here.

**Thalion**: Sorry mother I just came by to see what you needed.

She walked around the house preparing things for dinner, sewing and mending clothing here and there and the occasional house cleaning. She had on a yellow blouse with a pink apron over it. She also wore a pair of purple pants along with a simple pair of yellow shoes. She had shoulder length chestnut colored hair and had a pair of observant brown eyes. It took her a while to remember what she was supposed to tell me and I was dumb enough to just stand there with the door to the barn still open.

**Mom**: Oh yes that's right. There's mail for you but I forgot who sent it….. Oh yes that's right now I remember. It was from the Mayor.

**Thalion**: The Mayor what could he want?

**Mom**: The letter said that he wanted you to go and eat with him at his house for some sort of meeting.

**Thalion**: What kind of meeting?

**Mom**: Heavens if I'd know probably something about you being in next years Crystal Caravan.

**Thalion**: Alright what time did he request me to be there?

**Mom**: At six o'clock sharp.

**Thalion**: Alright then I guess I better get cleaned up. No need to go to the Mayor's house smelling like this.

**Mom**: Don't forget to wash behind your ears.

**Thalion**: Alright I know.

Closing the door to the barn I made a right and began to walk upstairs to ready myself for dinner with the Mayor. About halfway up I was again called down by my mother for yet another important matter.

**Thalion**: Yes mother?

**Mom**: I almost forgot the Mayor also requested that you take Talathiel along with you to the dinner.

**Thalion**: Oh I'll go tell her the news.

I began to make my trek all the way upstairs. I came to a hall that had six doors. I walked to the second door on the right and knocked on its mahogany entrance. I heard light footsteps on the flooring of the room and the turning of the door's handle on the other side. When the door was answered I saw Talathiel standing there with a book in hand.

**Thalion**: Hey Tala we have to go to the Mayor's for dinner do moms making us get cleaned up.

**Talathiel**: We're all going for dinner?

**Thalion**: No just us two. He wants to talk about us being in next years Crystal Caravan.

**Talathiel**: Oh alright then I guess we better start getting ready.

For as long as I could remember Tala and I had always shared everything. Since birth we always had to be together and couldn't function when the other was missing. We shared this bond even now. We had always relied on one another and had always thought of ourselves as the best of friends. Even now we share everything and that's because we can trust each other. We had always shared good memories with one another and we couldn't think of life without the other. It was as if we coexisted and lived as a single being or like the same person living in a peaceful way.

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**Author's Notes**

A rather short chapter but it sort of tells people who Thalion and Talathiel are. Not much change in the story so far but trust me their's alot of new content. Is everybody wondering how the meeting will go. Well Chapter 2 will be posted tomorrow so any criticism you may have is greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I grabbed my clothing from the drawer by my bed. Grabbing unmentionables along with a towel and soap I headed of to the shower. After I was done and clean I went to go check on Tala to make sure that she was ready. I approached the door and banged on it so that I'd be heard.

**Talathiel**: Be right out I'm almost done getting ready.

**Thalion**: Alright, but hurry or else we'll be late. Then the mayor probably won't be too happy with us.

**Talathiel** [_opening the door_]: Keep you knickers on I told you I was almost ready.

With that being said we began to make our way downstairs. Entering the room brought new aromas. The smells were of baked gourd potatoes, barbequed steak and striped apple pie.

**Thalion**: Man I can't believe we're going to miss today's dinner just so we can talk to the Mayor.

**Talathiel**: Quit your complaining Leo we're both missing dinner and besides why should we be complaining we might get to be part of next years Caravan.

**Thalion**: Well I guess your right.

**Talathiel** [angry]: You guess I'm right.

**Mom** [assertive]: What are you two bickering about now? Come on your going to be late if you continue on like this.

**Thalion and Talathiel** [_in unison_]: Yes ma'am.

We walked out the door and headed north towards the Mayor's house. Looking back at the house I noticed that the animals had been brought in from their grazing. Smoke was billowing out from the chimney of our house and the wind blew the ashes southeast. It was a rather cold day and seemed out of the norm. The strangest part was that it felt like winter during the summer. It felt as though something bad was being foreshadowed.

**Thalion** [uncertain]: Doesn't today seem different?

**Talathiel** [unsure]: What do you mean?

**Thalion**: I don't know sort of like something bad is going to happen or has already happened.

**Talathiel**: Come to think of it today seems rather gloomy.

**Thalion**: I guess we'll find out sooner or later.

Thalion seemed rather displeased with how things seemed and looked as if he was drawing his emotions from the weather itself. They approached the Mayor's house which was a large mansion made entirely of ebony wood and accentuated by reds, browns, yellows and oranges along with the occasional pink. We walked up the red brick steps onto the ebony wood porch lined with flowers of said colors. They made their way to the door with a brass door knocker on it. Raising the handle and letting fall back against the large door the knocker made a loud boom echo across the lot. When the door was answered an older gentleman stood in front of us. He wore a red cloak and a brown shirt with a green tie. He had on a pair of yellow and orange pants along with a pair of brown shoes. His hair was grayed and had been pulled into a ponytail and he had a beard that fluffed out and went below his shoulders. He carried a book in his in his right hand that seemed rustic. There was a good chance that he was probably as old as the book. He examined us through his brown eyes and kept a solemn look upon them. It was hard for us to tell that he had even opened his mouth as his beard kept it hidden among its locks.

**Mayor**: Yes welcome. Please do come in.

He led us into a room that was quite warm. The room had maple colored wallpaper and ebony wood flooring. Covering the floor was a worn pink rug and on it was an ebony wood coffee table. On the sides of the table there were two crimson colored loveseats with gold trimmings. In the middle of the coffee table stood a flowerpot of flowers with different shades of pink, orange and yellow. In front of the coffee table on the far wall stood a fireplace with the light of the fire showing a portrait of an older gentleman hanging over gave. He gave us a notion to sit down. Following orders we began to look around the room to absorb its new feeling. The room had a very hot feeling and that was due to the fire but it also burned with a sort of hate that seemed to be based on the meaning of today's weather. If I could say so I would have to say that we weren't here just to talk about our being in the Caravan. We had been sitting there for about ten minutes until the door's knocker had boomed yet again. Roland hobbled his way to the door and opened it. At the door was a female Lilty. She had a rather blissful expression on her face despite the disposition of today's events. She climbed her way up the loveseat that was on the other side of the coffee table. She sat there with a smile on her face and seemed to be humming some song.

**Mayor**: We'll wait another ten minutes for the last guest, but I he is late any longer than that then we'll just have to take care of business without him.

**Everybody**: Alright.

When he left through the door be the fireplace I tried to examine the Lilty girl before me. But midway through the process I was caught.

**Girl**: My name's Lairiel what's yours?

**Thalion**: Oh my name's Thalion. It's nice to meet you Lairiel.

**Lairiel**: It's nice to meet you too. By the way what's your girlfriend's name?

**Thalion**: What! Oh you mean Talathiel. No, she's not my girlfriend she's just my sister.

**Lairiel**: Oh then it's nice to meet you Talathiel.

**Talathiel**: It's nice to meet you too.

We made small talk after introducing ourselves. It mainly had to do with our family occupation and just things about the Caravan. Lairiel wore gauntlets and had on a pair of steel shoes. She wore a shirt made from down of a chocobo and wore a pair of black leggings. Her eyes were blue and her leaves fell gently across her face. We turned towards the door when one of Roland's maids came and told us that dinner was ready. We all filed into the dining room filled with profligate smells. We took our seats around the table and began to eat. When we had filled ourselves full of delectable foods when began to question the mayor about his reasons for waiting us to meet with him.

**Roland**: Ah yes I was just about to get to that. But I'd feel awful if I were to start with our last guest.

**Talathiel **[assertively]: We've waited long enough for him. Besides if he really wanted to be in the Caravan like the rest of us then he would've been here by now.

**Roland**: Well I guess if you put it that way then I might as well start.

**Lairiel**: Finally thought we'd never get this show on the road.

**Roland**: Well I must admit that I would like you three to be in next year's Caravan.

**Thalion**: We already guessed that but there's something else that you want to talk about. The air in town suggests that something bad has happened.

**Roland**: Your senses are very adept to their surroundings. I must congratulate you one that, and you are right in suspecting that something is wrong.

**Talathiel **[questioning]: I can't feel it at all. What do you mean that there's something wrong.

**Lairiel**: All we have to do is wait till our caravan comes back so that we can begin next preparations for next year's journey.

**Roland**: Well let me explain what has been going on. As of two weeks ago….

Roland was interrupted by the opening of the door from the lounge. We turned to see that it was a Yuke. Even though he wore a sallet he seemed to have a distasteful expression upon him. He moved towards the table and began to grab a plate. He picked through the cooked vegetables and sat down. He ate his food silently as everyone watched him. There was silence for a couple of minutes before Lairiel decided to break it.

**Lairiel**: It's about time you showed up. Do you know how long you kept us waiting?

**Yuke**: And I care about all this for what reason.

**Roland** [angry]: Lithaldoren is that any way to talk to a lady.

Lithaldoren didn't respond and just kept eating his meal. We all just sat there waiting for him to finish his meal. But of course he had to take his sweet, precious time.

**Talathiel**: Forget this rude interruption and just continue on with the news.

Lithaldoren shot a look of anger at Talathiel, and she gave him a look of higher degree. Mayor Roland noted this behavior and tried to solve things out in his head.

**Roland**: Yes Talathiel I'll continue.

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**Author's Notes**

Oh cliffhanger that i'll probably be killed for. Well that's if you like the story. Expect Chapter 3 to be up by Thursday. Thanks for reading and any criticism is appreciated.


End file.
